Blade-setting mechanism



July 22, 1969 G. R. BRODIE BLADE-SETTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1967 all INVENTOR. GEORGE R. BRODIE his ATTORNEYS July 22, 1969 G. R. BRODIE BLADE-SETTING MECHANISM Filed March 22, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE R. BRODIE BY .5M/...iff

his ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,456,585 n BLADE-SETTING MECHANISM George R. Brodie, Narberth, Pa., assgnor to John C. Motter Printing Press Co., York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 625,256 Int. Cl. B41f 31/04; F16b 39/28 U.S. Cl. 101-365 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A mechanism for setting a blade, particularly a printing press ink fountain blade to the fountain roll, comprising a plurality of spaced-apart blade-keys suitably coupled to the blade to effect adjustments of relatively closely spaced portions of the blade independently, and a releasable lock mechanism coacting withthe keys and permitting them to be moved to adjust the blade but also locking all of them substantially as a unit and preventing them from working loose in operation, even when they are worn. Preferably, the mechanism also includes a releasable retainer coacting with the lock mechanism and holding-the blade-setting keys but permitting all of the keys to be released simultaneously as a unit to enable the blade to be unset without the need for independent release of each key.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the setting of blades, such as the fountain blades of offset printing press inking systems and, more particularly, to a novel and improved bladesetting mechanism.

Various types of blades used for such purposes as metering, spreading, smoothing or removing liquids and semi-liquids are usually equipped with an adjustable blade-setting device. For example, in offset printing equipment the ink fountain includes a fountain blade which controls the amount of ink picked up on the fountain roll. With many types of blades, including ink fountain blades, it is desirable, and sometimes necessary, to provide a system for setting the blade along relatively closely spaced points along its length.

One type of setting mechanism for ink fountain blades is composed of a multiplicity of threaded rods, often called keys, which engage the back surface of the blade, or are suitably linked to it by levers, that are turned down or backed off, as required, to locate the blade at a predetermined setting to the roll. Usually the keys are simply threaded into a suitable frame member, and one problem with many presently known key-type blade-setting mechanisms, is that the keys sometimes work loose from their adjusted position, particularly when they become Worn, thus resulting in movement of the blade out of its adjusted position and consequently in an inferior or unacceptable product. Moreover, many existing key mechanisms also are incapable of being unset as a group or unit, thus requiring each key to be backed off to facilitate removal of the blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided, in accordancel with the invention, a blade-setting mechanism which overcomes the foregoing and other problems with various presently known setting mechanisms and which also embodies features which facilitate blade setting, locking and releasing procedures. More particularly, the setting mechanism of the invention comprises a plurality of spaced-apart blade-setting linkages which may consist solely of setting screws, i.e., keys, which directly engage the blade or of levers or similar linkages operated by keys. A releasable locking mechanism coacts with the keys to locate and hold them in set positions when the equipment is operatin-g but at the same time permits the keys to be adjusted to set the blade. The

3,456,585 Patented July 22, 1969 ice releasable lock mechanism locks all of the keys substantially simultaneously as a unit in their adjusted positions and, preferably, is arranged to permit unsetting of the keys to facilitate removal of the blade without independently unsetting all of the keys individually.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjusting mechanism includes a frame member having an elongated recess and provided with guides carrying bladesetting keys and a releasable lock mechanism composed of a resilient, contractible holding element associated with each blade-setting key and an expansible and contractible member, such as the fluid inflatable tube, associated with all of the holding elements. The keys may have threaded portions, in which case the holding elements are split nuts positioned in the recess. Preferably, a retainer bar normally overlies a portion of the several split nuts and retains them in the frame member recess, but the retainer bar is mounted so that it can be disengaged easily to permit all of the split nuts and therefore the keys to be simultaneously released as a unit, thus unsetting the blade. With this arrangement the fluid inflatable tube is positioned in the recess adjacent the split nuts and operates to tighten the split nuts against a wall of the frame recess and into locked engagement with the blade-setting keys.

With the inflatable tube in inflated and expanded condition the keys are held loosely enough by the split nuts to permit them to be readily turned down or backed off to permit the blade to be set but they are also locked in place and cannot work loose in operation. When, however, it is desired to unset the blade, for example, to permit the blade to be removed and replaced by another or to clean out the fountain, it is merely necessary to deflate the tube and then to disengage the retainer bar which normally holds the lock nuts in position in the slot. Upon release of the retainer bar, all of the lock nuts and, of course, the keys are permitted to be displaced in a direction such that the blade is disengaged and can resile away from the fountain roll.

It is thus apparent that the adjusting mechanism of the invention provides quicker and easier setting and unsetting of the blade, particularly by locking all of the blade-setting keys as a unit while permitting each to be moved to adjust the blade setting as desired. Further, the mechanism, insofar as it embodies a releasable retainer for the split nuts, offers the further advantage of greatly facilitating unlocking the blade for replacement or clean up. The improved etlciency of operation afforded by the adjusting mechanism of the invention is rellected not only in savings in labor costs of blade servicing but also in higher revenues resulting from reduced shutdown time and the consequent increased production output for the press.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following description of an eX- emplary embodiment, taken in conjunction with the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view in section of the printing press ink fountain blade-settin g mechanism, the View being taken generally along a plane defined by the lines 1--1 of FIG. 2 and in the direction of the arrows, and various parts such as the end frame and the like being omitted for greater clarity;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of segments of the mechanism, the view being taken looking from left to right in FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of one of the split lock nuts which forms an important part of the mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT The embodiment of the blade-setting mechanism of the invention shown in the drawings and described below is used in conjunction with an offset printing press ink system which includes a fountain roll mounted for rotation in end frame members (not shown) or bracketed between them. The fountain roll is positioned adjacent an ink fountain located to 'the left of the roll 10, with respect to the view in FIG. 1, and in fact forms a side wall of the fountain. The fountain may be of any suitable form, many specific designs for such fountains being well known in the art. A common type of ink fountains includes end members (not shown) which engage the ends of the -fountain roll, and a base member 12, which in the -form shown in the drawing is constituted at least in part by a fountain blade mounting member 14. A fountain blade 16 is clamped to the mounting 14 by means of a blade clamp strip 18 fastened by screws 20. The fountain blade 16 in effect forms a continuation of the base member '12 of the ink fountain and is sufficiently flexible to permit adjustment at relatively closely spaced points along its length to a predetermined spacing from the fountain roll 10 to afford a desired pick up of ink from the fountain onto the fountain roll.

Below and behind the member 12 and, in the particular form shown in the drawings, forming an integral part of the member 12, is a frame member 22 of generally L-shaped cross section which extends between and is suitably bracketed to the press end frames. The frame member 22 includes a relatively short connecting portion 22a which extends between the horizontal leg 22b and the member 12 and has a longitudinally extending flange 24 projecting toward the fountain roll 10. The flange 24 is formed with an upwardly facing groove 26 and with spaced-apart slots 28. The groove 26 receives a rod 30 on which a plurality of levers 32 are pivotably mounted, one of the levers 32 being located in each of the slots 28 in the flange 24. The pin 30 constitutes the pivot point or fulcrum of each lever 32. The upper corner 32a of each lever 32 engages the back of the tip of the fountain blade 16 (FIG. 1).

The frame member 22 carries a series of blade-setting screws or keys 34, one associated with each of the levers 32. The right end of each key 34 (with respect to the view in FIG. l) is guided through a hole 36 in a guide elcment 38 secured to the frame member 22, and the tip of the key engages the lower corner 32b of the respective lever 32. The left end of each key is threaded, as shown, and is guided through a hole 40 formed in the vertical leg 22C of the frame member 22. The threaded ends of the keys pass rearwardly out of the vertical leg 22C and in so doing transect a slot or recess 42 formed along substantially the entire length of the frame member 22.

The threaded portion of each of the keys 34 receives a split lock nut 44 which, as best shown in FIG. 3, is rectangular in each of its major planes, has a hole 46 threaded to match the threads on the keys, and has a slot 48 transecting the threaded hole 46 and affording resilient movement of the two sections defined on opposite sides of the slot toward each other. The split nuts 44 are received by and positioned in the recess 42 in order to relieve bending strain on the rods 52.

j. The upper part of the recess 42 in the frame 22 receives an inflatable tube 58 which is connected to a source 'of fluid pressure, as indicated schematically in FIG. 2. The

tube 58 extendsl continuously along and engages all of the lock nuts 44 and is retained in the slot by a retainer strip 60 fastened to the frame. When the inflatable tube 58 is in an inflated and expanded condition, as provided by an appropriate predetermined fluid pressure, the lock nuts 44 engage the keys 34 loosely enough to permit them to be turned down or backed off readily, preferably by hand, and to pivot the levers 32 to set the fountain blade 16 at the desired spacing from the fountain roll 10, the several setting linkages affording separate setting of relatively closely spaced lengthwise segments of the blade. When the pressis being set upfor a run, the pressman will appropriately adjust each of keys 34 to provide the desired pattern of ink on the fountain roll 10. During the setting procedure, the retainer bar 50 is -Iclamped by the toggle clamps 54 in the position shown in FIG. 1 to hold the lock nuts 44 is fixed position in the slot. t

After the blade has been set to the roll, the inflatable tube 58 continues to hold the lock nuts in engagement with the keys 34 by pressing the two sections of the nuts 44 on either side of the slots 48 toward each other. Thus, the keys 34 are securely locked in place and cannot work loose during the operation of the press, even when the keys are worn or are subjected to vibration during operation. At any time that it may be desired to reset the blade, it is only necessary to turn the keys in an appropriate manner. However, it is also possible, if desired, to make adjustments of the blade setting at any time with the tube deflated (by turning off the pressure supply), thereby1permitting the nuts 44 to resile and to loosen the keys 34 to permit them to be moved more freely.

The mechanism of the invention also makes it possible for the blade to be released from its set position without disturbing the key settings; for example, this may be done to permit replacement of the blade 16 or cleaning out of the fountain. To release the blade in this manner, the inflatable tube 58 is deflated and the several toggle clamps 54 are released to move the retainer bar 50 away from holding engagement with the lock nuts 44. The lock nuts 44 and the keys 34 can then be displaced relatively freely to the left (with respect to FIG. 1), thereby releasing the blade 16 from its somewhat flexed, set condition, into its rest condition, as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 1. To return the blade to its previously set position, or to return it to condition for resetting, the toggle clamps'are actuated to return the retainer bar 50 to its locked position, and by so doing the lock nuts 44 and the keys 34 are returned to their previously set positions. The inflatable tube is then pressured up, and the fountain is again ready for resetting or for operation without resetting when appropriate.

I claim:

1. An adjusting mechanism for a printing press ink fountain blade or the like comprising a plurality of bladesetting members engageable with the blade and mounted for movement to adjust the setting of the blade, a resilient contractible holding element associated with each blade setting member and having formations arranged to engage and hold each blade-setting member, and a fluid expansible and contractible tube positioned to engage the holding elements and selectively expansible to contract the holding elements to cause them to firmly engage the blade-setting members and lock the members in their adjusted position and yet permit movement of the bladesetting members to adjust the setting of the blade.

2. An adjusting mechanism for a printing press ink fountain blade or the like comprising means engageable with the bladesto set it at a predetermined spacing from a roll or the like including a plurality of spaced-apart kblade-setting members each mounted for movement to adjust the setting of a portion of the blade, and releasable lock means normally coacting with the blade-setting members -to locate and hold them in set positions while permitting their movement and selectively operab'leto lock all ofthe members substantially simultaneously in their Yadjusted positions, the releasable lock means including an independent holding element associated with each I blade-,setting member, each holding element having formations arranged to normally relatively loosely engage the member and locate and hold it while permitting it to be adjustably moved and being selectively operable more firmly to engage and lock the member in place against movement during operation of the blade, and expansible and contractible means having portions disposed in engagement with the several holding elements and being common to al1 of them for selectively operating the holding elements to effect their firmer engagement with the members to lock them in place. l

3. An adjusting mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the blade setting members include threaded portions and the lock means includes a split nut for each of the members normally relatively loosely threaded on the threaded portion thereof and selectively deformable into firmer engagement with the member to lock it in lace. p 4. An adjusting mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the expansible and contractible means includes a uid inflatable tube.

5. An adjusting mechanism according to claim 2 further comprising a mounting member carrying the blade engaging means and having a recess receiving and positioning the holding elements, and further comprising releasable retainer vmeans engageable with the holding elements to retain them in the recesses but being movable out of retained engagement with the holding element to facilitate simultaneous disengagement of the blade-setting means by enabling displacement of all of the holding elements and the associated blade-setting members as essentially a unit without individually Aunsettng each of them.

6. An adjusting mechanism for setting a printing press ink fountain blade or, the like at a predetermined spacing from a fountain roll or the like comprising a frame member, an elongated recess in the frame member, a plurality of blade-setting linkages, each arranged to set a predetermined portion of the blade to the roll and each including a threaded blade-setting key guided by the frame member and extending through the frame member recess, a split nut threaded on each key and received by and positioned in the frame member recess, each split nut being normally relatively loosely threaded on a key and permitting movement of the key to adjust the setting of the blade, and a uid inflatable tube positioned in the recess and engaging the split nuts and operable upon inllation to tighten the split nuts against a wall of the recess and into firmer locked engagement with the blade-setting keys.

7. An adjusting mechanism according to claim 6 further comprising a retainer bar mounted on the frame member and having a portion normally engaging the split nuts and retaining them in the frame member recess, the retainer bar being releasable to facilitate simultaneous disengagement of the lock nuts to enable movement of all of the lock nuts and the associated blade-setting keys essentially as a unit, thereby permitting unsetting of the blade without the need for separate release of each key.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,367,615 2/1921 Malone 151--21 1,798,042 3/ 1931 Smith 10-1-365 1,862,744 6/ 1932 Frankboner 101--365 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner J. REED FISHER, Assistant Examiner Us. c1. Xn. 15 1-21 

